The European Union has become a relevant actor globally, especially through its trade and monetary policy. The fact that the EU is the first economic power in the world shows that the EU, when there is political will on the part of all Member States, may act as a superpower. But Europe still has an unresolved matter: EU needs to speak with one voice abroad.
Why not the European Union does has the same role on the international stage? Basically because there are as many external policies as States have the Union: there is no a single foreign policy. The EU doesn 't show a good image when we see how states show opposite positions. The European Union could not speak with one voice in the Yugoslav Wars from 1991 by divergences between French,
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Back in 1993, the TEU contained a section devoted to the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), a major step in the EU 's foreign policy. It became an instrument to adopt common positions among the Member States. Its birth was due to the need to deepen both Union and foreign policy and deal with the new challenges arising in the context of Cold War. The Common Foreign and Security Policy is based on unanimous consensus among the member states. CFSP is a method for adopting common principles on political and security issues, committing to common diplomatic approaches and undertaking joint …show more content…
The European Union and its Member coexist as international actors and act in the same medium. The Member States of the Union long ago ceased to have an independent foreign policy. A member State does not act like the other States of the international community. In addition, Member States are very different in history, size, capacity, risk perception and interests, ultimately in the way of understanding foreign policy. This diversity affects the ability to make decisions and act internationally. Furthermore, in the area of foreign policy and defense, there have been serious divisions among Member States. One of the most obvious examples is the 2003 Iraq War, which caused a split between the States of the European